Litigante

From its first moments I was absolutely captivated by this film. The script, direction and acting are so superb and natural I almost felt like I was watching a documentary based on one of the writer's autobiographies. Every complex detail followed the logic of the story and the very three-dimensional, nuanced characters so much that I wondered how the writers had captured this story so perfectly.

For me the film centred largely centred around the incredibly difficult love-hate relationship between the protagonist (Silvia) and her elderly mother (Leticia). The relationship was so relatable and nuanced, from the harsh words the two shared with each other to the absolute tenderness with which Silvia cared for her mother when she was particularly vulnerable. The other relationships, from mother-to-son, best friends, romantic and sisters, were all equally wonderfully captured.

The actors are each perfect for their roles, with Carolina Sanín as Silvia, conveying the weariness through which she moves through her guilt, resentment, joy, self-righteousness, and more tender moments. Leticia Goméz, as Leticia, is agonisingly perfect as the frustrating elderly mother, who loves her grandson, and pushes both non-traditionalism and traditional roles on her eldest daughter, and who makes life challenging for her daughters by resisting treatment for her lung cancer. How the director got the performance from seemingly five-year old Antonio Martinez, I'm not sure. Antonio is a loving son and grandson with a tiny attention span, interested only in what he sees as relevant to him. In other words, he's a perfectly portrayed five-year old. The supporting actors also play their parts flawlessly.

I was particularly taken by the telling fragments the film provided, in which it avoided clumsy exposition with a single glance, line of dialogue or sequence of actions that provided years worth of background. To me, this requires particular skill in the writing and direction. I was told that this film was good, but it was exceptional.